The One Time Hunter Said Goodbye
by kevarianna
Summary: Most of the times, Hunter left Sebastian to wars without saying goodbye. But that night in 2043, he decided to do so.


1.

Sebastian woke up, startled. He remembered that his boyfriend is scheduled to deploy to Iraq today. He looked to the clock beside his bed; it's 3 AM. His boyfriend is still sleeping next to him, soundly. His back was facing Sebastian, but the young Frenchman can see that the other guy's body is stressed. He scooted closer to his boyfriend and hugged him from behind.

"Don't be tense. You'll be alright there. You're strong. You can fight our enemies there. You will win this war for me, yourself, and the country." He whispered the words against his boyfriend's neck. He can feel Clarington's body shifted closer to him, indicating that he's in ease.

Hunter always does that. Whenever he's stressed, he always hold Sebastian close and will shift closer to him when he feels better.

It's one of Sebastian's favourite things about Hunter.

He woke up in 10 AM after that. Hunter was gone, replaced with the big panda doll Sebastian bought for Hunter's daughter, Marissa, who's is in his arms right now alongside the doll. He smiled.

He could get used with this.

* * *

2.

They got engaged two weeks ago. Marissa is now nine and grew closer with one Kurt Hummel-Crawford, who _had _to be Hunter's cousin _and_ their wedding organizer. Kurt is now taking the whole family out for a lunch—his treat—before Hunter goes out again to Israel.

"Daddy, why do you keep on having these trips?" Suddenly Marissa asked that. The three adults looked at each other and gulped. "And why don't you ever take us?"

Kurt decided to reply the little girl's questions. "Honey, the trips are very, very dangerous."

"If it's dangerous, then why Daddy goes on the trips?" Marissa asked, her grey eyes were glassy that time. Hunter sniffed before held Marissa's little hands in his bigger ones.

"'Rissa, my girl, I do this because I'm protecting our country. Besides, we have Sebastian now." Hunter said as he kissed the back of Marissa's hands. "And they are very dangerous. If I bring you or Sebastian, there will be a chance where...where one of us won't see each other again. Don't you want to see me, Sebastian, or Kurt again?"

"But if you go there alone, that means the three of us have the chance not to see you again." Marissa said. She had always been the genius one.

Hunter chuckled. Sebastian knew his now-fiancé didn't know what to say. "But Daddy will always come home." Sebastian decided to say.

"Yes, that's right. I will always come home." Hunter smiled sadly. He knew that's a lie. Kurt knew it was a lie. Sebastian knew it was a lie.

Marissa then nodded her head, knowing there's no point in objecting her father again. "Daddy, I love you. You know that, right?"

Hunter's smile grew wider and more real. "Yes, I know that, sweetheart. I love you too."

The morning after that, Sebastian woke up with Marissa and her panda doll again.

* * *

3.

Santana Lopez's sister, Adrianna, gave up her unplanned child to adoption. The newlyweds adopted the child. They named him Justin Clarington.

"Why don't you name him Smythe?" Santana asked when Sebastian told her about the name. She then saw the rings around Sebastian's and Hunter's left ring fingers. "Oh."

"Yeah, _oh_." Sebastian snorted. "He's really beautiful." The Frenchman said as he caressed Justin's cheek.

"He is." Hunter smiled at Sebastian, Adrianna, and Santana. He kissed Sebastian quickly before asking, "Sorry, but I'd like to know what happened."

"I kind of blew it off with Mike Chang a year ago. And Justin came along. If the two of you hadn't been together, I don't know who to give Justin up. Adam and I agreed to give my baby for them, but…you know what happened." Adrianna shrugged.

After Adam Crawford graduated NYADA, he chose the same way as Hunter; the military. With his body shape and quick, brilliant mind, he was promoted to Navy Vice Admiral in only 14 years. Kurt was proud to be his husband. But in 2033, he got assassinated. JFK style, admitted the assassin.

"It was a year ago." Hunter said. He focused his sight to the baby he's holding in his arms. Marissa was sleeping in the couch, tired after the flight from her summer camp in Nice. She was the first to hold Justin, though. Hunter looked at his daughter and his new son.

"Marissa was unplanned as well." He said. Hunter never told Sebastian about Marissa's mother. He only knew her mother died after she gave birth to Marissa.

"Her mother was my, third girlfriend I think. Her name was Sarah. She was a Russian immigrant. But I didn't know about Marissa after her father, who was a family friend, called me and congratulated me about my first child." Hunter explained. "I rushed to the hospital. Thankfully I was in DC that time, which is where Sarah lived. But I didn't make it on time. Sarah was already gone and I get full custody of Marissa." He said. "Part of me still regrets that I left Sarah that time. She couldn't bear that I'm in the military. She said it's…hurting her. If only she told me she was pregnant."

He was crying at the end. Santana put her hand on Hunter's lap and squeezed his knee. "Hey. It's all in the past."

Hunter nodded.

The next week Sebastian woke up with Marissa feeding Justin as she prepared the dining table. "Breakfast…_Papa_." She teased. Hunter was nowhere to be seen; there's only a memo in the fridge, telling them the USAF Major is off to Libya.

* * *

4.

Hunter held his husband's body tight. Marissa just came back from Justin's room, after tucking him to sleep. The little child doesn't need to know about this; Sebastian's father, Charles Smythe III, died in his sleep.

Sebastian can't even say a single coherent word. He kept on burying his face on Hunter's shirt. The USAF Colonel didn't say a word either, only a few shushes to calm Sebastian down.

"I had to take over of Dad's firm. I have to move to NYC and leave Langley, immediately." Sebastian said.

"Are you going to leave us?" Marissa asked. That only triggered Sebastian to cry even more. Marissa's grey eyes were full of guilt. "I'm sorry."

"Sebastian, do you want this?" Hunter asked softly. He wasn't calm, though. His tone was tight and stern.

Sebastian wiped his tears with his long fingers. "I don't know."

"Bas…" Hunter pleaded. "The decision is all yours."

"Law is more fun in NYC, I have to admit." Sebastian said. He focused his sight out to the window. "But…you still have the Air Force. Marissa has less than a year to finish high school. Justin is still young. I can't leave all of you." He looked down at his lap. Marissa decided to move and hugged her stepfather from the side.

"You guys do aware that I'm legal, right? Dad, you and Justin can leave for NYC while I stay here to finish my school, and then join you in New York."

"The nearest USAF bases from NYC are in Delaware and New Jersey." Sebastian said. "I don't want to make your Dad drive that far." He muttered.

"I can do it, Sebastian. I'll manage. _We will_ manage." Hunter took Sebastian's hands in his. He kissed the back of them, just like what he did to Marissa thirteen years ago.

"But I don't want you to." Sebastian said. "I'll ask my sister to do it instead."

"Sebastian…," Hunter took his husband's face in his hands as he caressed the Frenchman's cheeks.

"Bas, continuing your father's firm was your lifetime dream. Just do it. Take the kids." Hunter said. "I don't want to see you regretting your choice in later time." He said as he kissed Sebastian's lips and Marissa's forehead before heading to their bedroom. "I'll ask my commander to postpone my deployment."

Sebastian then asked his sister to move the firm to Washington DC, but still kept the NYC one as a branch.

And Hunter went to Colombia, 10 days after he was supposed to be there. He came home.

* * *

5.

They were _almost_ reaching the age of fifty. Marissa got accepted in UCLA five years ago and is now making a living as a psychologist. Justin was finally in the elementary school, Sebastian was still running his father's firm with his nephew who had lived in DC all his life, and Hunter got promoted to General Air Force Chief of Staff.

Hunter was scheduled to go to Azerbaijan next week. Langley-Eustis's current commander said this will be the last. There will be no deployments whatsoever Hunter had to do.

"That means you'll be a General of the Air Force, right?" Sebastian asked. He played with the strands of Hunter's hair.

It's 1 AM in Sunday early morning. They have nothing to do for the rest of the day. Justin has a fencing lesson in the morning, but it's still later. Besides, Marissa was in town and agreed to drive her stepbrother. Now they have the time for themselves.

"It's possible." Hunter replied. He pulls his husband close to him and holds him tightly. "You smell so good."

Sebastian knew it's a distraction. He just _knew_.

"Hunter, if you…"

"Don't."

So Sebastian didn't talk about it for the rest of the week.

…

The next week, Hunter woke Sebastian up. He was already dressed in his uniform, ready to fight for his country for one last time. When Sebastian's emerald eyes opened, Hunter smiled at him and kissed Sebastian.

"I will be back. I promise." Hunter kissed Sebastian's forehead and his hands.

Three months later, Sebastian got the visit he expected. Or so he thought.

…

The officers that came to his house weren't there to announce Hunter's death. They were there to announce Hunter's promotion and that he is reserved from wartime, as the General of the Air Force, Hunter Alexander Clarington, came into the house with a crutch and few bandages around his head and torso.

Sebastian Clarington never felt happier than ever.

* * *

Bonus.

Hunter never, ever knew that it would be Sebastian who died first. He always thought it will be him, killed in action or tortured by some terrorists.

But he didn't, and they lived until they saw Justin and Marissa had their own children; and for Marissa, her own grandchild.

Sebastian died of doctor malpractice. Hunter sued against the hospital and he won. The hospital had to pay a million dollars to the Smythe and Clarington families.

It's been a year after the love of his life died. Hunter was kneeling on the ground, after putting down the blue roses to the ground; Sebastian's favourite. Hunter touched the tombstone, down to carving of Sebastian's name, to the years he lived and the epitaph.

_Sebastian Lawrence Clarington_

_1994 – 2082_

_An amazing father, husband, brother, friend, and lawyer. May you kick the asses of criminals while you're in the afterlife._

Hunter laughed at the last sentence. It was Justin's idea, actually. Sebastian really loved putting criminals into jail, as his firm was the consulting firm for DC Metro.

He kissed the tombstone before standing up, right as the rain pours down heavily. Hunter smiled again. Sebastian loved rain, too.

That night, Hunter died peacefully in his sleep.

...

"_Welcome back, Hunter Clarington."_

"_I missed you, Sebastian Clarington. That is all."_

"_I missed you too._"


End file.
